Kelly out to make life hard for Keys

[icWales] COLD-BLOODED Nick Kelly insists he will have
no regrets about dumping his former team-mates out of the
Principality Cup when he returns to his old stomping ground
tomorrow.

The Pontypridd workhorse will square up to his ex-clubmates when
the cup holders begin the defence of their title at Division One
side Cross Keys.

Kelly, who played in last May's cup triumph, has also tasted cup
glory with Keys when they reached the semi-finals in 1999 - held,
coincidentally, at Sardis Road.

But he has warned his former team-mates not to expect any
favours when he returns to Cross Keys for the first time since
leaving 18 months ago.

"I won't feel at all guilty about knocking them out of the cup
because at the end of the day, that is my job," said Kelly.

"I loved my time at Cross Keys and I have still got some good
mates at the club.

"But I cannot let emotions get in the way of getting on with
business when I am on the field. My head must rule my heart."

Kelly spent four years at Pandy Park before heading to
Pontypridd and back to the Welsh Premiership in the summer of 2001
and admits he still has a soft spot for the Division One club.

"It's a great club to be a part of and in many ways is very
similar to Pontypridd, just on a slightly smaller scale," said the
25-year-old.

"It is a really family orientated place where everyone is very
close and I had four great years there. My fondest memory was when
we reached the semi-final of the Swalec Cup three years ago.

"It was a fantastic occasion for everyone and the whole town
came out to support us, it was great.

"I still keep in touch with a lot of the guys and the pre-match
banter has already started.

"But I know how much this game will mean to them and how hard it
is going to be. There has always been a good team spirit there and
I have seen them a few times this season and that spirit is still
there today.

"We know that as the cup holders we are there to be knocked down
and this will be their cup final."

Pontypridd's preparations have been seriously hampered this week
and they've been forced to ask scrum-half Paul John to fill the
outside-half spot left by Ceri Sweeney and Neil Jenkins.

Sweeney is one of five Welsh squad members being rested ahead of
the start of the Six Nations next week, while Jenkins is one of
five casualties from the first team.

It also means that coach Lynn Howells has had to draft in three
players from the Under-21 side, as well as a replacement hooker
from Treorchy.

"It has been very difficult to prepare with all the enforced
changes, especially when you don't have players in specialist
positions," said Howells.